A History of the Blüthner Company

Family owned since being founded in 1852 by Julius Blüthner, Blüthner Pianos, or Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, is based out of Leipzig, Germany. Blüthner operated the largest piano factory in Europe by 1900, until the factory was bombed in World War II during a British air raid in 1943. Blüthner pianos used several unique and special methods and tools in their manufacturing, such as the Aliquot string – a sympathetically vibrating 4th string tuned in unison, a cylindrical soundboard, and hammers that were angle cut. These methods developed the distinct and beautiful voice of Blüthner pianos. This voice is warm, lyrical and generally deeper and richer than many of its German contemporaries. The voice lends itself particularly well to the music of the Romantic era.

The Finest In Europe

All Blüthner grand pianos are shipped with 3 pedals, the sostenuto pedal being a classic sign of a high-end grand piano. Blüthner was issued a royal warrant of appointment from the Austria-Hungarian court – a sign of prestige only granted to those at the top of their industry. Any Blüthner piano from any era is a wonderful investment, and properly cared for the antique models appreciate quite heartily. If you’re looking to add a piece of history to your home, or just want to play on the legacy of one of the finest piano manufacturers in the world, then look no further than a used Blüthner grand piano.

Modern Blüthner pianos comes in a wide variety of options, including custom ordered artistic models and even models with clear acrylic rims. They manufacture special order pianos as well, including left handed pianos where the strings and keys are reversed, allowing a person to play the tenor notes with their left hand, and famously a Jankó keyboard piano for a customer in spain. Modern Blüthner pianos are all constructed from superb materials and are typically more affordable compared to much of their competition. Rims are made of beech, solid spruce for the soundboards, Renner actions with Abel hammers and a polyester composite finish. Want to learn more about the anatomy of a grand piano? Click here. All of their pianos – since their conception to the current day, are masterpieces of craftsmanship and exemplary of the finest musicianship that the world as to offer. Blüthner produces about 100 upright pianos and 500 grand pianos annually. They have 4 models of upright pianos and 6 models of grand pianos, listed below:

Grand Pianos

Model 1: 9’2” – The Concert Grand

Model 2: 7’8” – The Small Concert Grand

Model 4: 6’10”

Model 6: 6’3”

Model 10: 5’5”

Model 11: 5’1”

Upright Pianos

Model A: 49”

Model B: 52”

Model C: 46”

Model S: 49”

The World’s Best Musicians and Blüthner Grand Pianos

Rachmaninoff and his Blüthner

Blüthner has several big names associated with their product, from royalty such as Emperor Franz Joseph I and Kaiser Wilhelm II, to legendary composers Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Claud Debussy, Béla Bartók, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Famous performers like Liberace, Dodie Smith, and George Formby all preformed on Blüthner grand pianos. Perhaps most significant to music of the modern era, Abbey Road studios in London owns a Blüthner grand piano and was used to record some o the songs on the famous Beatles album Let It Be – including the hits “The Long and Winding Road” and, my personal favorite, the eponymous “Let It Be.”

Unique Manufacturing

If you’re looking to add one of history’s finest pianos to your home, but don’t want to spend up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for one, perhaps you should consider a used Blüthner grand piano for sale. Manufactured from the highest quality materials available in any era, if cared for any used Blüthner grand piano will produce beautiful warm tones and wonderful music for generations.

Blüthner also produced a one-of-a-kind piano for used on the infamous Hindenburg Zeppelin. This piano had an aluminum harp plate which saved over 200lbs from the regular cast iron plate in a similarly sized piano. It was used in an ‘air concert’ radio broadcast and was the first piano used in flight. It was removed from the Hindenburg to save weight, and so was spared from the historic crash and burning of the zeppelin. However, it was eventually destroyed in a bombing of the Blüthner factory in WWII. After the dust had settled form WWII Leipzig was under Soviet control. The Soviets, recognizing what a icon of the industry Blüthner represents, and having a dire need for quality musical instruments themselves, allowed the Blüthner factory to be rebuilt.

Used Blüthner grand pianos can be dated by matching their serial number to the table on Blüthner’s website. The date of manufacture is inconsequential, however, because any Blüthner piano, used or otherwise, is a masterfully crafted instrument. We have a selection of used Blüthner grand pianos for sale, and if you are interested in adding a piece of history to your home, give us a call at (770) 717 8047 and we will be thrilled to help you out in any way we can.

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